Count Orlok (2023)

“	In fact, IT DOES NOT.	„
	~ Count Orlok, after being asked by Thomas Hutter if he is interested in the topic of love.

“	I plead forgiveness. As my ways are sure to be strange to you. But, the blood is life! And shall never be wasted. I trust you will find your quarters... comfortable. But... for the time, please, sit. I will tell you tales of my long suffering past and lost traditions. And then, you shall tell me of yours. We shall... come to know each other... better. Yes... let us talk. Until the sun shows it's dreaded face once again.	„
	~ Orlok after biting Thomas' bleeding finger.

“	Such a delicate... neck.	„
	~ Orlok remarking Ellen's neck.

Count Orlok, also known as Nosferatu, is the titular main antagonist of the 2023 indie horror film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, a shot for shot remake of the 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Like his original counterpart, Orlok seeks to bring about a plague across Europe for his own amusement, and get the blood of a woman named Ellen Hutter for his own.

He was portrayed by Doug Jones, who also played the Pale Man in Pan's Labryinth, Ghoul Marcus in Ouija: Origin of Evil, The Thin Clown in Batman Returns, and Jake Simmons in Arrowverse.

Appearance[]

Count Orlok looks almost exactly identical to his original version, he is tall, and bald, with pointy ears, thick eyebrows, sharp-rat-like teeth, and long claws. Unlike his original version, however, this version of Orlok has normal human looking eyes, hinting that he still has humanity within him. He sports a dark coat that is that of a hunters, with dark pants and shoes. He occasionally wears a dark black robe with a pointy hood.

Personality[]

“	I don't think Orlok realizes how much he's faded. In his mind, he's still the dashing count he once was, and that dichotomy fascinated me. The farther you get from human, the harder it is to play, Orlok's humanity is still there, buried under layers of torment and hunger.	„
	~ Orlok's actor Doug Jones in an interview with Dread Central

Like his original counterpart, Count Orlok is a cruel, malevolent, and cold hearted vampire that seeks to suck the blood out of living people. He enjoys sending plagues across civilians to kill them for his own amusement. He also has an obsession with Ellen Hutter, craving for her blood. Despite all of his cruelty, and unlike his original counterpart, this version of Orlok has a bit of a soft heart still left in him. He felt guilty about killing Ellen and feasting on her blood all night, and because of this, comitted suicide by having himself vaporized to sunlight.

Biography[]

Not much is known about Orlok's past, however, it can be assumed that he was a sorcerer that was made into a vampire by the demon Belial, and ruled his castle for centuries.

Count Orlok poses as a nobelman so that he can buy a house in Wisborg, Germany from a local who lives there, Thomas Hutter. When Hutter arrived at the castle, he was greeted by Orlok, wearing a dark robe and a hood. Once inside at Orlok's dinner table, Hutter accdidently cuts himself with a knife, tempting Orlok to try to drink Hutter's blood. Startegically, Orlok sits down with Hutter and tells him his backstory, eventually reuslting in Hutter falling asleep and Orlok biting him. Hutter woke up the next morning, and though he was unaware of Orlok's true nature at first, Hutter eventually finds out about Orlok's true identity through the "Book of Vampires". When Orlok tried to attack Hutter in his room one night, Ellen called out to Orlok via telapathy, offering herself to him.

Count Orlok made his way out of the castle and into his coffin, which was taken to a ship that was on it's way to Wisborg. There, Orlok killed the captian and the crew, and sailed the ship himself to Wisborg. Once making it to the Wisborgk, Orlok unleashes his rats to carry out a plague that killed many civilians. Ellen Hutter, Thomas's wife, decides she must lure Orlok to herself so that he can feast on her blood and be distracted by the sunrise. Things go exactly as Ellen planned, Orlok is lured to her room and feasts on her blood all night, until the sunlight rises. Orlok, in guilt for killing Ellen and also accepting his fate, walked torwards the sunlight, which inevitably vaporizes him into smoke, ending the plague that Orlok started and ending Orlok's long, immortal life.

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Promotional[]

Trivia[]

Creation[]

GaMcG6MW4AENxio — Doug Jones as Count Orlok

David Lee Fisher always thought about remaking Nosferatu since presumably 2004 or 2005, but did not begin attempting production until Kickstarter funded it in 2014. Production began in 2015, however, the movie was not finished until sometime after 2020, and did not find distribution until it got a limited release in 2023 and got released in 2024 on streaming. It was released via demand on Amazon's Prime Video and Apple TV, premiering only a few weeks before Robert Eggers' remake of the same film.^[1]
In an interview with Dread Central, Orlok's actor Doug Jones shared that his artistry makeup as Orlok was restricted to his face and hands, but took four hours to apply; This was a head-and-hands transformation. It's not as physically taxing as a full-body suit, but it's still demanding. The makeup process took about four hours each day to apply, with various prosthetic pieces, painted veins, and taloned hands that really brought Orlok to life", Jones said.^[1]

Notes[]

In the interview with Dread Central, Jones also stated: A few years ago, if you'd asked me about a bucket list character, Nosferatu would've been at the top. He's not sexy like Dracula or sparkly like modern vampires. He's scraggly, pointy-eared, and buck-toothed—someone I could really sink my claws into. In the same interview, Jones reflects abouts its story; Nosferatu is a timeless story because it’s about more than just a vampire, It's about longing, loss, and the things that make us human—or inhuman.^[1]
About Orlok's demise in the film, Jones stated; The final scene of the film was a crescendo for me. He finally attains his ultimate desire, only to realize it comes at the ultimate cost. I wanted to show his humanity—a fleeting glimmer of regret and sorrow before he dissolves into nothing. Even monsters deserve their moment of truth.^[1]

External Links[]

Count Orlok on the Nosferatu Wiki

References[]

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 "Doug Jones Like You've Never Seen Him Before in 'Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'"

Navigation[]

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Dracula: Count Dracula | R.M. Renfield | Brides of Dracula
Dracul: Count Dracula
Dracula the Undead: Elizabeth Bathory

[dread-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 "Doug Jones Like You've Never Seen Him Before in 'Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'"

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